Goggin Cottage – Restoration
Update: We are pleased to announce that Goggin Cottage is complete, and open for bookings! Visit the property page to see the latest photos and book your stay.
Goggin Cottage, Kildimo, Co. Limerick is an important early nineteenth century thatched cottage that has survived virtually unaltered. The cottage has no electricity or running water. A stream at the boundary of the property provided water for drinking and washing. Inside layers and layers of limewash, some tinted with red madder, are a testament to the generations of the Goggin family who have lived in and loved the cottage. Sadly, like so many vernacular cottages, it fell into disuse and began to decay.
Irish Landmark Trust started work on the cottage in 2009, but in 2012 conservation work came to a halt as funding became difficult to source. Thankfully, funding received from the Heritage Council in 2021 enabled the project to restart.
At that stage, the ridge on the cottage was nearing the end of its life and had shrunk back from the base of the chimneys so thatcher Tómas Collins replaced it with a brand new ridge. Another priority associated with the ongoing conservation of the cottage was to install a wastewater treatment system and drainage including a French drain around the perimeter of the cottage. Local contractor Paudie Conway from Conway Plant & Civils carried out all the site works. This was an important part of our conservation plan and brings us a step closer to bringing the cottage back to life and welcoming Irish Landmark guests.
We received further good news in 2022 when Irish Landmark Trust was announced as one of 78 recipients of Historic Structures Funding 2022. The plan was that his funding would enable Irish Landmark to complete the conservation of Goggin Cottage, Kildimo, Co. Limerick. Unfortunately, due to a lack of available contractors, we could not proceed with this work in 2022.
We applied for funding again in January 2023 and are waiting to hear if our application has been successful. We hope to complete works at Goggin Cottage at that point. Irish Landmark Trust is very grateful for the support of the Heritage Council for providing funding for this project to date.
Click on the link to watch the drone footage of the site transformation. https://youtu.be/hZYKeZELqrI